Deuteronomy 6 · Verse 20

Deuteronomy 6:20

And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord our God hath commanded you?
Deuteronomy 6:20, King James Version

Deuteronomy 6:20 in other translations

BSBIn the future, when your son asks, “What is the meaning of the decrees and statutes and ordinances that the LORD our God has commanded you?”
WEBWhen your son asks you in time to come, saying, “What do the testimonies, the statutes, and the ordinances, which the LORD our God has commanded you mean?”
ASVWhen thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which Jehovah our God hath commanded you?
YLT‘When thy son asketh thee hereafter, saying, What are the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which Jehovah our God hath commanded you?
DARBYWhen thy son shall ask thee in time to come, saying, What are the testimonies, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which Jehovah our God hath commanded you?
BBEAnd when your son says to you in time to come, What is the reason for these rules and laws and decisions which the Lord our God has given you?
WebsterAnd when thy son shall ask thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD our God hath commanded you?

What does Deuteronomy 6:20 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Deuteronomy 6:20-25
20-25. when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying--The directions given for the instruction of their children form only an extension of the preceding counsels.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 20 And when thy son asketh thee, etc. - "Here," as Mr. Ainsworth justly remarks, "followeth a brief catechism, containing the grounds of religion." What mean the testimonies, etc. - The Hebrew language has no word to express to mean or signify, and therefore uses simply the substantive verb what is, i. e., what mean or signify, etc. The seven thin ears Are, i. e., signify, seven years of famine. This form of speech frequently occurs.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Deuteronomy 6:17-25

Moses gives charge to keep God's commandments. Negligence will ruin us; but we cannot be saved without diligence. It is our interest, as well as our duty, to be religious. It will be our life. Godliness has the promise of the continuance and comfort of the life that now is, as far as it is for God's glory. It will be our righteousness. It is only through the Mediator we can be righteous before God. The knowledge of…

Read the full comment on Deuteronomy 6:17-25 →

Deuteronomy 6:20 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

כִּֽי\־ki-ifH3588
יִשְׁאָלְךָ֥yish.'a.le.Khahe will ask youH7592
בִנְךָ֛vin.Khachild yourH1121
מָחָ֖רma.ChartomorrowH4279
לֵאמֹ֑רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
מָ֣הmahwhat?H4100
הָעֵדֹ֗תha.'e.Dot[are] the testimoniesH5713
וְהַֽחֻקִּים֙ve.ha.chu.Kimand the statutesH2706
וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֔יםve.ha.mish.pa.Timand the judgmentsH4941
אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherwhichH834
צִוָּ֛הtzi.Vahhe commandedH6680
יְהוָ֥הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ'e.lo.Hei.nuGod ourH430
אֶתְכֶֽם\׃'et.Khem<obj.> youH853

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Deuteronomy 6:20

  • Exodus 13:14

    And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the Lord brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage:

  • Exodus 12:26

    And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?

  • Joshua 4:21-24

    And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones? Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land. For the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over: That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever.

  • Joshua 4:6-7

    That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.

  • Deuteronomy 6:7

    And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
when thy son.
7; Ex 12:26; 13:14; Jos 4:6,7,21-24; Pr 22:6
in time to come. Heb. to-morrow.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Deuteronomy 6:19

    To cast out all thine enemies from before thee, as the Lord hath spoken.

  • Deuteronomy 6:20

    And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord our God hath commanded you?

  • Deuteronomy 6:21

    Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh’s bondmen in Egypt; and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand:

Read all of Deuteronomy 6

Deuteronomy 6:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Cuando mañana te preguntare tu hijo, diciendo: ¿Qué significan los testimonios, y estatutos, y derechos, que Jehová nuestro Dios os mandó?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Quand ton fils t’interrogera à l’avenir, disant: Que sont les témoignages, et les statuts et les ordonnances que l’ Éternel, notre Dieu, vous a commandés?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Wenn dein Sohn dich künftig fragt und spricht: Was bedeuten die Zeugnisse und die Satzungen und die Rechte, welche Jehova, unser Gott, euch geboten hat?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Cumque interrogaverit te filius tuus cras, dicens: Quid sibi volunt testimonia hæc, et cæremoniæ, atque judicia, quæ præcepit Dominus Deus noster nobis?